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TikTok’s Uncertain Future: Privacy Concerns, Creator Impact, and Potential Buyers

Politics of TikTok on the minds of users

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The future of TikTok may be uncertain, and users are growing increasingly concerned.

Some Santa Barbara City College students, including Sabrina Lopez and Mary Hixon, said they use the app to relax between tasks and enjoy its short, straightforward how-to videos.

“I feel like it’s a little entertainment whenever you need it, like if I’m bored,” Lopez said.

“I watch a lot of cooking videos, and I like to work out, so I watch a lot of tutorials,” Hixon said.

Other students, including Keene Colton, wouldn’t mind seeing people put down their phones and spend more time enjoying nature instead of technology.

Lisa Betz, a visitor from Germany, agrees.

Some users are concerned about potential privacy issues, including China’s access to their keystrokes.

However, content creators like Rivet Soro argue that taking TikTok offline would hurt their livelihoods.

Many creators earn a significant portion of their income from the platform.

Soro, known as “RiRi’s Tea” on TikTok, shares entertainment stories on the app.

“For me, as well as millions of other creators and business owners, TikTok isn’t just a fun app; it’s our livelihood,” Soro said.

ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, temporarily took the platform offline for about 12 hours over the weekend.

“Honestly, it was very scary,” Soro said. “It’s not just about losing followers or views; it’s about losing opportunities, connections, and, for many of us, the ability to pay our bills.”

Nicholas Creel, an associate professor of business law at Georgia College and State University, believes TikTok’s return may be short-lived.

“Don’t get used to it. It’s probably not going to be around much longer,” Creel said. “President Trump is going to go ahead and issue his executive orders giving it an extension for 75 days, but the reality is he doesn’t have the legal authority to do that.”

Creel said Congress would need to take action to determine TikTok’s fate.

“The law is what was passed by Congress, and Congress has been very clear that this app is not going to be around,” he said. “So, the second somebody challenges it, it’s going to get tossed, and we’ll probably see it go dark pretty soon.”

He added that courts are often slow to act, which may give users some time to enjoy the app.

“Go ahead and enjoy it while it’s here. It’s not going to last,” Creel said.

Potential buyers for TikTok have included high-profile figures such as YouTube star MrBeast, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary (known as “Mr. Wonderful”), and Elon Musk.

Article Topic Follows: Technology

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Tracy Lehr

Tracy Lehr is a reporter and the weekend anchor for News Channel 3-12. To learn more about Tracy, click here

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